Evil from the Deep
by Wellwater41
Summary: After the events of Twilight Princess, Link struggles to find his place in Zelda's world of politics and nobility. But on the horizon, an ancient evil approaches, threatening to destroy everything the hero has worked so hard to save.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Follows, Favorites, and Reviews are appreciated. Let me know what you think.**

 _The labyrinth of underground passages was as still and silent as the grave. These tunnels had no name, and they appeared on no maps. Only the most foolish of men would dare walk these halls, for even the most novice of adventurers could feel the corrupted taint of the blackest sort of magic performed here. It was practically dripping from the walls._

 _A lone figure was making his way slowly across the deepest of these passages, a large meeting hall with a low ceiling. He held a small torch aloft, illuminating a dozen feet of shadowy ground ahead of him. Skulls and other bones littered the ground, dully shining white in the firelight. Their flesh had long since rotted away. He squinted to lengthen his vision, bloodshot eyes betraying countless nights of sleep. His tattered clothes and empty sack betrayed his desperation. For what, he was not sure._

 _The nightmares had started suddenly, almost a year earlier. It was the same thing every night. Bloody bodies writhing in pain, red hot fire against his skin, and the voice._

 _The voice terrified and enthralled him. It drove him forward even as he wished to flee. Every night it would push him towards his destination, berate him if he faltered. And it was all leading up to this. He just had to find whatever it was in this room that called to him, and he could rest._

 _His body ached. He could scarcely remember anything from before. His family, friends, and even his name seemed like a distant memory. All that was left was the voice._

 _The room was dead. Nothing living had touched these floors for a thousand years. The nearest town had been a week's journey. But something was here. And as he made his way to the end of the long hall, he could see it._

 _It was a treasure chest, raised up on a dais. It must have been secure at one point, but time had nearly destroyed it with rust. He ran to it._

 _With trembling hands he grabbed the lock, feeling it crumble in his hands. He tossed it aside. He slowly lifted the lid, his breath catching in his throat._

 _There it was, staring back at him. Here was what he'd been looking for, he knew it without a doubt. He picked it up gingerly, as if it would break in his hands. He stroked it once before raising it aloft._

 _His maniacal laughter echoed through the silent halls._

 _They would all pay now._

* * *

"Again," Link barked, and the two young recruits jumped to obey, disengaging their swords from the stalemate they'd currently been stuck in. They took their ready positions.

"Go," Link said, and the two boys clashed swords.

 _They're not really boys_ , Link thought, _They're nearly my age._

But it was hard not to think of them as such. Their swords clanged together impotently, their grunts of effort in sharp contrast with the effectiveness of their simple moves. They were dueling, not fighting. They didn't know what it meant to go for the kill; they'd never had to know. And Link did not know how to teach them.

"Stop," Link said quietly, and the boys disengaged once again. One of them put his hands on his knees, the other actually fell on his back. Link fought the urge to roll his eyes.

For two months he'd been here, teaching new recruits as best he could, and he still had no idea what he was doing. Every lesson in swordplay he'd learned had been one more sliver of hope that he'd survive his journey. He drank the shade's lessons in like water. But these recruits had no such motivation. Most were sons of noblemen, more interested in the livery of knighthood and what it would do for their place in society. The rest were commoners more interested in the meals and money that a soldier made. None of them knew the desperation and fear of battle.

 _And how the hell do you teach that?_ Link thought angrily to himself. His displeasure must have shown on his face, because the two recruits seemed to tense up. Link schooled his features quickly.

"That's it for today," Link said with a nod, and the young men saluted quickly before hurrying away. Link got the feeling they were afraid of him. He was aware that he was a sort of enigma to the knights and soldiers. Why would an 18-year-old be put in charge of training recruits? Link wasn't going to fill them in, and his tendency towards silence did not help elucidate the situation.

His silent musings were cut short as a familiar figure approached.

"Hey Shad," Link said with a smile. The scholar was always a welcome sight. Shad asked very little of him, and seemed to take his silence with more grace than most.

"Hello Link," Shad said, his arms full of books. He pushed his glasses up before they promptly returned to the end of his nose. "Just who I was looking for."

"Oh?" Link asked neutrally. If Shad needed him, it was usually for something he didn't want to do.

"Yes," Shad said emphatically, dropping a few of his books in his enthusiasm. "The envoy from Cadmia has arrived, I've been sent to retrieve you."

Link fought a groan. If there was one thing he hated more than anything else, it was politics. Yet more and more often, he found himself firmly entrenched in them.

He'd left Ordon Village just over three months ago. He'd been desperate to find something to _do_. Herding goats no longer appeased him, so he'd sought to offer his services once again to Zelda. She'd suggested training recruits as a way to keep sharp until something else revealed itself, and he'd agreed. But _apparently_ , to Link's chagrin, someone had found out just who he was and what he'd done for the kingdom, and suddenly he was _important_.

Which meant the nobility saw him as a pawn in their game.

There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't receive a dozen letters: invitations to a party, requests for him to come to tea, or advice on something that a hundred other people could answer better than him. Link had staunchly ignored every single one of them, refusing to play this game of theirs. Which, as Shad had been all too happy to fill him in on, was still a way of playing the game. Link had nearly thrown the poor man out on his head.

And as much as Link wanted to ignore the envoy from Cadmia, he wouldn't.

Because she would be disappointed.

Princess Zelda hadn't asked for much since he'd been in Castle Town. In fact, Link rarely saw her. She was so busy meeting with her council, entertaining local and foreign dignitaries, and whatever else running a country entailed that he'd hardly spoken more than a few words to her. It pained him. They weren't exactly close friends, but Link liked to think they shared _some_ sort of bond. The mark on the back of their hands was proof of that. But she'd remained distant, except for a handful of requests such as his presence for the Cadmian envoy. So he would go.

"Yeah, alright," Link muttered, and Shad seemed to brighten. Link had the impression that the young scholar had expected more of a fight.

"Excellent," Shad said, nearly losing the stack of books tucked under his arm. "I can lead you that way if you'd like, I'm supposed to be a part of the entourage of the Princess."

Link nodded absently as they began to walk. Shad had an unusual position as Historian to the Crown. It seemed to Link more of an honorary position, a sort of reward for Shad's effort in freeing the kingdom, but the young man took great pride in it.

"So have you seen the Cadmians yet?" Link asked, more to fill in the silence than anything. If you gave Shad a chance to educate or inform you, he could talk all day.

"Yes, I saw them a little while ago," Shad said excitedly, "There's a few dozen of them. Apparently they sent a few of their senior knights and a prince! It's all very exciting, I'm expecting great things from these talks."

Link grunted in response. Cadmia was a pretty good distance from Hyrule, and across the Gerudo Desert to boot, so there was little chance of war. Still, a formal peace treaty with a neighboring nation was never a bad thing.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do?" Link asked, bracing himself.

"Link!" Shad exclaimed, "This is important, you should know this already."

"True," Link grinned, "But let's just say that I don't, just for fun. Give it to me."

Shad sighed, and Link took it as a victory.

"Look," Shad began, "You don't have to _do_ anything. You're someone that Princess Zelda trusts, and you're one of the best swordsman in the kingdom. All you have to do is be respectful, look capable, and stay out of the spotlight."

"I can do that," Link said with a shrug. "And for the record, I'm _the_ best swordsman in the kingdom."

"I wouldn't know," Shad said with a shrug, "Ah, here they are."

As they crested the small hill in the castle grounds, Link could see them. A hundred yards away, near the parade ground where tournaments and the like were held, were ten or so people gathered together. Even from this distance, Link could see Zelda as she spoke to a few of the foreign men. Her face was the picture of serene grace, and not for the first time Link was reminded of how beautiful the leader of Hyrule was.

As the two of them approached the group, the Princess graced him with a smile. But as soon as Link returned it, she was back to her neutral expression that Link thought of as her princess mask. And Link noticed, just as he always did, the thin scar that ran along her right cheekbone. He'd given it to her when she'd been controlled by Ganon. Zelda had waved it away after it was all said and done without a thought, but to say he regretted it immensely would be an understatement.

"Gentlemen," Zelda said once they had nearly joined the group, "Here is Sir Shad, my historian, and Sir Link, the man responsible for defeating the usurper to my throne."

 _Well that sort of introduction makes it difficult to fade into the background,_ Link thought. The men from Cadmia seemed to perk up at his introduction, and he gave them a respectful half bow. An older man with a well-oiled beard stepped up and offered a hand, which Link shook.

"It's nice to meet you Link," The man said warmly, "The Princess has spoken very highly of you. I'm Sir Edward Wallace, knight and diplomat for the King of Cadmia."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Link said with a smile, liking the man immediately. "I hope I can live up to the expectations of the Princess."

"I'm sure you will," Edward laughed.

"And I," a new voice rose up as a man near Link's age approached, "Am Prince William Cadmium, heir to the throne."

Link shook the man's hand. As much as he'd liked Sir Edward, this prince did not appeal to him. He was tall and lean, with dark hair that appeared meticulously styled. His clothes were exceptionally fine. Link could practically smell the entitlement on him.

"Your men say you're the best around here with a sword," Prince William demanded. "I'd like to test that."

"William!" Edward exclaimed.

"Just a friendly duel between men of neighboring nations," Prince William said with a smirk, his hands raised in appeasement.

Link was at a loss for what to do in this situation. A few of the soldiers finishing up with training had perked up upon hearing the prince's exclamation. Link looked at Zelda, pleading with his eyes for some sort of direction. She still looked maddeningly unreadable. But she did reply.

"I think a duel would be most interesting," The princess said, and that seemed to settle the matter for all involved except Link.

The soldiers nearby seemed to take this as instructions to go, for they seemed to jump to action, clearing the nearby ground of training posts, discarded armor, and anything else they could find. One of the men brought him his sword. And suddenly he was in a makeshift ring standing across from a crown prince of a foreign nation.

Life was funny like that sometimes. And apparently this was happening whether he liked it or not.

Link took a deep, steadying breath. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was not the Master Sword, but it would still serve his purpose. He studied the man across from him.

 _Tall_ , Link analyzed, his brain shifting into a battle-ready mindset. _Long reach, have to watch out for that_.

In truth, Link wasn't worried about losing this fight. He hadn't found a swordsman yet that could best him. But he had to win without embarrassing the prince, which meant he'd have to hold himself back. That would take a lot more skill. Still, he was up to the task.

Link drew his sword.

Prince William struck first, closing the distance between them quickly to cross blades. The impact made a resounding clang. They disengaged, and William stabbed forward as Link sidestepped. Undeterred, William swung his sword across, meeting Link's raised blade.

Quickly Link realized that Prince William was good with a sword. He wasn't great, but he was no pushover, which meant that it'd be even harder to fool the man into thinking this was a close fight.

Link pushed forward himself, striking several times. The prince was quick, and he nimbly sidestepped the blows.

Back and forth they fought, Link allowing the man to come close to landing a few strikes. One last strike had their blades cross, and William began to push down on him, trying to force him to his knees.

"I'm glad you're better than the rest of your soldiers," William grit out, "They're hardly fit to be called such."

Link spun out, using his sword to deflect William's descending blow to the side. The Prince was trying to goad him, but he would not take the bait. They exchanged a few more blows before once again began to speak.

"Come now, don't you want to impress your princess?" William laughed, "You'll have to do better than that!"

They circled each other, growing closer. Their blades clashed, once, twice, and a third time once again found their faces close.

"She's quite attractive," William said as if it had just come to him, "Do you think there's a chance of a political marriage?"

Link fought the urge to stab the man. Instead he focused on being the very model of self-restraint.

"I wouldn't complain," William said in a low voice, "Other than that scar on her face, she's damn near perfect."

 _Ah screw it,_ Link thought, _self-restraint is for the birds._

Link pushed him off, separating them. Link did a spin attack, pushing William back. And then Link came after him.

Link was starting to feel it as he slashed at the prince; the adrenaline that came with battle. It seemed to fill him with energy. The prince was backpedaling, trying to fend off the flurry of blows, but Link kept coming.

A particularly hard slash caused William to stumble back a half-step, and that was all the opening Link needed. He ducked in, sliding the pommel of his sword under the prince's hilt and wrenching up, using his off hand on his sword's blade for leverage. William's sword left his hand. Link followed it up with a sharp punch to his chest, knocking him down as Link stabbed his blade into the dirt between his legs, no more than a few inches from the man's most intimate area.

For a long moment, no one moved. The only thing to break the silence was the two swordsman's heavy breathing. And just as Link came to the realization that he'd probably ruined relations between Hyrule and Cadmia forever, the prince started to laugh. And his laughter seemed to break the spell of silence. The Hyrule soldiers watching cheered, and Sir Edward seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"That," Williams said, his hands on his knees as he sat in the dirt, "Was a good knock right there. I knew you were holding back, I just knew it!"

Link reached out a hand, helping the prince to his feet, still a bit baffled by the man's response to the loss.

"Sorry about speaking ill of your men and your ruler," William said, "I was just trying to say something to get you to fight me for real. You were holding back so hard I thought you'd burst."

Link gave a perfunctory chuckle to match the prince's, but his eyes went towards Zelda's, looking for her read on the situation. Her face was still carefully controlled, but Link thought he could see a hint of displeasure. Still, at least things had worked out.

"I think it is time for us to head back to the castle for tea," Zelda said, "And I'm sure Prince William will want to freshen up after his duel."

The prince nodded his consent, and the party headed back towards the castle. Link assumed he was not required, and stayed behind.

"So," Link said to Shad as the nearby soldiers began to get back to work, "How was that?"

"You make me so angry sometimes," Shad sighed, "And I'm almost more upset that you won't be learning a lesson."

"I'm not so sure," Link said as he watched the back of the princess as she walked away. He had the vague notion that he needed to apologize.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Follows, Favorites, and Reviews are appreciated. Let me know what you think.**

Link sat at the table in Telma's bar nursing his beer. Ashei and Auru were in a heated debate about something, and Shad was nodding along in agreement. Link had tuned them out nearly completely.

He was being even worse company than usual, but the other members of the resistance didn't seem to mind. At this point they probably expected him to be quiet and reserved. He just couldn't get over the feeling that he'd messed things up this afternoon in the dueling yard. He resolved to put it out of his mind, at least for the moment and rejoin the conversation.

"I'm telling you, there's no way an army could cross the Gerudo Desert," Auru said stubbornly, shaking his head. "There's no water and too many monsters."

"You could still do it," Ashei argued, "If you traveled at night you could avoid the heat, and the monsters in the desert wouldn't dare attack an army."

"I'm an expert on it, and you'd have a hard time forcing armored soldiers through that desert, it's not going to happen," Auro argued stubbornly.

"What are you talking about?" Link asked.

"Whether or not Cadmia could attack us," Ashei said, still glaring at Aurur over crossed arms.

"And I say it couldn't happen," Auru said, "What would they gain? They'd have to extend so far, and they wouldn't gain anything."

"They're here to work out a peace treaty," Link reasoned.

"Probably," Ashei nodded, "But wouldn't that be the perfect chance to scout out our defenses, check on what resources we have?"

"It would," Auru conceded, "But they still can't cross the desert with any sort of force."

Ashei gave the man a rather rude hand gesture.

"I still think they want peace, and that's what Princess Zelda is trying to accomplish," Link insisted.

"No thanks to you," Shad muttered.

Link shot the man a venomous glare, and the scholar seemed to realize what he'd said and very pointedly looked anywhere but at Link.

"Oh?" Ashei smiled, "What did our resident hero do this time?"

If there was one thing Ashei loved, it was making fun of Link's hapless luck when it came to all things social and political.

"I heard a few rumors," Auru said, rubbing his chin, "Heard you beat up the crown prince of Cadmia."

"Nothing like that," Link shook his head.

"It was sort of like that," Shad confessed, and Link groaned in frustration, dropping his head to the table with a thunk.

"What actually happened, yeah?" Ashei asked, her interest piqued.

"The prince of Cadmia asked for a duel, and I beat him," Link explained simply.

"You sort of trounced him," Shad pointed out, "And the only reason this isn't a bigger issue is because he laughed the whole thing off. You risked an awful lot embarrassing the man like that."

"I didn't mean to embarrass him," Link muttered.

"You punched him in the chest and nearly cut his manhood off!" Shad exclaimed, strangely upset about the situation. But then, matters of politics and decorum were close to his heart.

Ashei slapped the table and roared with laughter. In sharp contrast to Shad, there was nothing she loved more than the nobility being put in their place.

 _At least someone is getting a good laugh out of this_ , Link thought grimly.

"Then what happened?" Auru asked somberly, no hint of amusement on his face.

"That's pretty much it," Link shrugged, "Zelda led everyone away and I stayed behind."

"So you didn't apologize?" Auru asked, "You didn't offer the man anything to save his dignity?"

"I don't know what that means Auru," Link said wearily.

"You should have given the man a second chance, or said something that implied it was only a turn of luck that led to his defeat. You must allow a man of his position to save face. Hasn't Shad been teaching you of the ways of the court?"

"You mean the game?"

"Quite," Auru nodded.

"I have been teaching him," Shad exclaimed, "He just doesn't listen."

"I listen," Link protested weakly, "But it's hard to remember all the stupid details."

"It's important though, you know that!"

"It's not Link's fault," Ashei defended stoutly, "He didn't grow up in this environment. He doesn't think like these nobles."

"That's true," Link jumped in.

"It doesn't matter," Auru said with a shake of his head, "He has to learn."

"But why?" Link protested, "Why can't I just be me, why is everything I do so important to everyone?"

"Because _you_ are important," Shad said quietly, "You saved the kingdom."

"We _all_ saved the kingdom," Link shot back, but Shad shook his head.

"No, we all helped, but you're the one who did it. And everyone knows it. The princess owes you her life, which makes you an extremely powerful man."

Link had never thought of it like that. She'd told him she owed him, but Link had waved it away. He'd done his duty as the hero, it wasn't for any sort of reward.

"Not only that," Shad continued, "But she's named you her Knight, which means that in some ways you represent her. So when you beat up a foreign dignitary, some people would see that as you doing it under her command."

"That's ridiculous," Link shot back, but he could feel the guilt settling in his stomach.

"In some ways it is," Auru cut in, "But that's the situation. You must be very careful with how you carry yourself."

"I really had no idea," Link said, feeling quite small, "I need to apologize to her then."

And with that Link stood up and rushed for the door.

"Wait, it's-" Ashei began, but he was already gone.

"-the middle of the night," Shad finished. "There is just no way to get him to think, is there?"

All three of them shook their heads at that, before settling back into their argument about travel through the desert. They'd known the impetuous hero for far too long to be surprised.

* * *

It had started to rain around sundown, meaning that by the time Link exited Telma's Bar, the streets were slick with the rain runoff. He'd been in there longer than he'd realized, as it was nearing the darkest part of the night.

Undeterred, he set off towards the castle, pulling the collar of his dark coat up in a feeble attempt to hold back the rain. The streets were mostly empty, only a few stragglers milled about. He made good time, arriving at the castle gates in no time at all.

Only to find them closed.

 _Obviously_ , Link chastised himself, _It's the middle of the night._

His first thought was to turn back and try again tomorrow. He could approach her during the day. But, the chances he could find a moment where she was alone and free were slim. She was always busy. And this apology seemed strangely important. So he decided to go at the problem in a slightly different way.

Veering away from the castle gate, he began to follow the wall until he reached a point in the shadows. He scanned the parapets above, searching for any guards that could be watching. There were none nearby. He gave one more glance around, and seeing no one, he grabbed the smooth stones of the castle wall and began to climb.

It was a difficult climb, made all the worse by the rain-slick surface. The walls were nearly twenty feet thirty feet tall and had been worn nearly smooth by time. Link found it difficult to find handholds, but he was not a hero for nothing. Slowly he made progress.

As he reached the top, he pulled himself over onto the walkway, squatting low. Off towards the gate he could just make out the guards stationed on his level. He thanked the goddess he'd worn dark clothes today. Quickly he lowered himself over the other side, climbing down into the palace grounds.

He landed in a corner of the royal gardens, well hidden by the rows of hedges that sectioned it off from the rest of the grounds. He scanned for nearby guards and saw none nearby. Truthfully, even if he was caught, he doubted anything would come of it. But it would reflect badly on the princess in some way he was sure if the hero was found sneaking around the grounds in the middle of the night.

Which meant that going through the castle would be impossible. There were always servants milling about, and they were notoriously free with gossip. And the hero sneaking up to see the princess in the middle of the night probably qualified. Which left only one option.

It was nearly fifty yards to the castle, but most of it was through the gardens, which provided him adequate cover. Soon enough he was up against the wall of Hyrule Castle. It looked a lot taller up close. Still, Link was never one to back away from a challenge once he'd set his mind to it.

 _Here goes nothing_ , he thought as he began to climb. _Really wish I'd brought a clawshot with me._

The first thirty feet or so was fine. Whoever had built this castle had been a fan of jutting architecture, as there were plenty of handholds. Then he looked down and realized just how far above the ground he was. And Zelda's chambers were on the top floor.

It was a harrowing climb. The castle was famed for its height, visible for miles around. And right now, Link did not appreciate that one bit. But finally, he reached the tallest balcony and hauled himself over and onto steady ground. He fell to his knees, greedily pulling in breath as he rubbed his aching hands. He had nearly underestimated the climb to his peril.

After his breathing had normalized, he stood slowly, He hazarded a glance over the railing, only to pull back quickly. He was dizzyingly high in the air. He shook his head to clear his vision, pushing his soaked hair back as he headed for the door at the back of the balcony.

It came to him suddenly that he hadn't really thought of how he was going to explain to Zelda his presence on her balcony, and he suddenly felt a bit foolish. But there was no chance his climb would be for nothing, so he raised his hand to knock on the door.

As his knuckles touched glass, his hand exploded in pain. It felt as if he'd dunked the entire thing in lava. His hand went numb, and the sharp pain began to travel up his arm. He couldn't move, he was frozen in place. It reached his shoulder. Desperately Link tried to fight it, but he did not know how. He prayed with all his might, trying to move, to crawl away somehow. Suddenly, the back of his left hand began to glow, and he regained feeling in his fingers. It felt like needles poking him, but still he was glad. His triforce glowed brighter as the pain was extinguished and feeling returned to his body. He fell down gasping for breath as he broke into a cold sweat.

He heard a door creak open, although it sounded far away. He chanced a hazy glance upwards, and there she was in a thin nightgown and robe, her eyes full of concern. Link's haze cleared almost immediately.

"What," Link ground out, "Was that?"

"It's a ward for those who would wish me harm. Do you wish me harm, Sir Link?"

"I don't think I'd survive the attempt," Link muttered, awkwardly climbing to his feet. The princess laughed lightly. To Link, it sounded like ringing bells.

"Well if you're not here to do me harm, then why are you here? Surely not for anything improper?" Zelda asked, her face serene, but her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Link's face turned red, and he was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing, and how the cold night air had affected the princess through her thin robe.

"No, of course not," Link sputtered, fighting to remain composed and pointedly _not_ looking at anything but Zelda's face. "I came to apologize."

"Well first you need to come in," Zelda said sagely, "You're soaked. Come in and sit by the fire."

Link followed numbly. As he entered, he felt the rush of warmth realized just how cold and numb he'd become. There was only the soft glow of embers left in Zelda's fireplace, and he hurried to add a few more logs to the fire. Soon enough it was roaring, and he sat with his back facing it.

"So," Zelda asked finally, sitting in a comfortable chair a few feet away from him. "What apology was so important that you had to nearly get yourself killed to deliver it?"

"Hey," Link denied, "I would have been fine if someone hadn't booby-trapped their door."

"I hardly… what did you call it, booby-trapped?" Zelda replied calmly, "I hardly booby-trapped my door. I simply put a ward on it to protect myself from anyone desperate and foolhardy enough to scale the castle exterior just to get to me."

"Call it what you want, that hurt," Link said petulantly. "And I wasn't desperate, I just wanted a chance to speak to you in private, and this seemed like the easiest way."

"You have a strange understanding of the word easy," Zelda rebutted, but she nodded in acceptance of his reasoning.

"Anyways, I just wanted to apologize for my actions today," Link said.

"What do you feel you need to apologize for?" Zelda asked, her face still as unreadable as ever.

 _Gah, she's really going to make me spell it out_ , Link thought in exasperation.

"For beating the prince," Link said quickly, "For representing you poorly, for nearly starting an international incident!"

Link realized he'd nearly been yelling, and forced himself to calm down. Zelda, for her part remained unperturbed, fixing him with a quizzical look. She seemed to be wrestling with something in her mind before coming to a decision and speaking.

"Why do you think I agreed to let you duel Prince William?" Zelda asked levelly.

"Um," Link was taken aback for a moment, "Because he wanted to?"

"This is my kingdom Link, I have every right to refuse a chance for a foreigner to fight one of my people, even if he is a prince."

Link shrugged, he was out of ideas. Zelda sighed, and for a moment she looked very tired. She had a far off look in her eyes before shaking her head and looking back at him.

"The reason I had you duel Prince Williams was precisely because you could beat him. He had spent much of the morning observing our soldiers. You and I both know they are not as capable as they need to be."

She paused as if to give him a chance to deny her claim, but he did not. He couldn't, she was right.

"Your duel was a way to show Prince William that Hyrule still has men capable of defending her," Zelda said. "Not only are you amazing with a sword, but you're young and you're in charge of training the recruits. It will give the men from Cadmia something interesting to think on."

Link couldn't help but feel a bit of a thrill at her praise. They both knew his skill with a blade, but it was still nice to hear.

"You didn't," She continued a bit more harshly, "Need to punch him in the chest and nearly stab him in the groin. Disarming him would have been quite enough. You're just lucky he didn't take offense to it."

Link hung his head a bit at this, feeling properly chastised.

"Hey, it's alright," Zelda said in a softer tone, "It was a mistake, but it all ended up alright. In fact, he could hardly talk about anything but your duel for the rest of the day. You have an admirer."

Link looked up at this, noting the small upturn at the corners of her mouth. He chuckled.

"That's good to hear," Link said, "Still, I feel bad. I wish I had represented you better."

"You've been speaking with Shad again, haven't you?" Zelda asked. Link nodded, and she sighed. "It's not that he's wrong, it's just that he sees things through a very narrow lens. He is concerned you will upset the status quo with the nobility. But the common people love you Link, they'd support you no matter what. You saved them. And I hope you'll forgive me, but I hoped that by aligning us together, I could absorb some of that support."

"We'll always be aligned Zelda," Link assured, "You don't have to apologize."

"You're a very selfless man Link," Zelda mused, "I think that's part of what makes you the hero. But you're a warrior. You're not used to picking your words with care, or weighing every action for its merit. You don't think like that, and I understand that."

"Why is it like this?" Link demanded, "Why can't you just say 'I'm the princess, and this is what we're doing.'"

Zelda laughed again, and it seemed to Link to be a beautiful, musical sound.

"I wish I could," Zelda said honestly, "But the crown is weaker than it has been in a long time. Most of the treasury is going to fixing the damage done by Ganondorf and Zant, whether it be repairs to the city, training of new soldiers, or paying farmers for their crops. I need the nobility to follow me by their own choosing. Many of them hold enough wealth to purchase an army and march on the castle if they so wished. I doubt any would try, as the other nobles would no doubt rush to defend the crown if only to keep it out of the hands of someone they see as an equal, but the threat is there. I need their support, so I must play their games."

Link had no idea. He saw noble men and women on a daily basis, but mostly ignored them, seeing them only as a nuisance. To think that they held so much power and he hadn't even realized it made him suddenly feel very foolish. He opened his mouth to apologize, to say something, but Zelda held up her hand.

"You don't have to apologize again Link, this isn't something I'd expect you to be aware of. This isn't your world, it's mine. You gave me back my throne, it is up to me to hold it. You're bound to make a few mistakes. But all in all, I'm still glad you're here."

"Me too," Link said honestly.

"I know we haven't seen much of each other lately," Zelda said with a sad look, "And that's my fault. There is always more to do, and it seems that nothing can be done without me. But would you like to come to lunch tomorrow? I've grown fond of eating in the garden, you could meet me there around midday?"

"I'd like that," Link said with a smile, and Zelda returned it. To Link, she seemed to truly happy with his answer, and he fought the warm feeling creeping up his neck.

"Good," Zelda said, standing. "Now I hate to be a poor host, but seeing as it's past midnight and you came uninvited, I'm going to have to ask you to leave so I can go back to sleep."

Link nodded. She was joking, which was a good sign of her mood. He headed towards the balcony, steeling himself for the cold air.

"I will see you tomorrow, Sir Link," Zelda said as he opened the door.

"Of course, Princess Zelda," Link nodded, heading out and closing the door.

The climb down seemed to be easier. Maybe it was because the rain stopped, maybe it was because he had a lot to think about, but sooner than he expected he found himself in the gardens at the base of the castle. He made his way towards the wall, his thoughts on what the princess had said to him.

' _This isn't your world, it's mine,' she'd said. But what if I don't want to be part of separate worlds?_

He vaulted the wall quickly, and he was back to his thoughts as he trudged the streets back towards Telma's bar. As nice as she'd been, Zelda didn't see him as an equal in this world. How could she? He'd refused to even try and fit in.

 _That has to change_ , he thought resolutely. And it would.

Soon enough he found himself back at Telma's. It was emptier now, but his companions were still in their seats in the back.

"Shad," he said when he came closer, "I hope you're ready for a long night, you're teaching me all about this great game of yours."

It was a testament to Shad's passion for teaching that he asked no questions. He simply stood and followed Link towards the young hero's room on the second story, leaving Ashei and Auru in silence.

"Do you think he found her?" Ashei asked after a long pause.

"I don't know," Auru shrugged, "But did you see the look in his eye?"

"Yeah, I've seen that sort of determination before," Ashei nodded, "I can't figure out if we should stop him or not."

Auru shrugged again, but Ashei's look of concern had mirrored his own. Link had the same look he'd held the whole time he was saving the kingdom. A man who was that determined was going to find results, one way or another.


End file.
